3:26 PM,
Jun. 14, 2013

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In a 5-3 vote, the state Ethics Commission cleared six Republican lawmakers who had potential conflicts of interest to vote on Medicaid funding, reauthorization and against expanding the program on Friday morning.

Gov. Phil Bryant and the legislative GOP leadership hope the lawmakers - who had abstained from voting because they work for Medicaid providers - will give them enough votes to end a legislative stalemate that threatens to shut Medicaid down July 1.

The six GOP House members who didn't vote and requested Ethics opinions are: Donnie Bell, who does PR for a hospice provider; Bubba ...